Andromeda
by mythical rose
Summary: Duo and Heero were in love five years ago. Two years later Duo left. What happens when they see each other again for the first time in three years? How will they handle the mission they must do together? *Revised*
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. I wish I could because they are all too cute for words. I do not own the original version of Battlestar Galactica.

Title: Battlestar Andromeda

Chapter: Chapter 1

Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 6x5

Warnings: AU, swearing, lemon

By: Mythical Rose

Author's Note: This is the second rewrite and hopefully the last one. As I read this story I found that it had gone so far from my notes that it did not even resemble my original story. So with that said I decided that I would take it apart and start it all over again. I really hope that you enjoy this new version.

I really wish to thank Skylark for the encouragement that she gave me when I first started this story.

AC 195

Sank Kingdom

Capital of the World Council

Apartment of Council Ambassador Heero Yuy

The night was perfect. The sky was clear, the stars were twinkling, and the moon shone brightly over the mountains surrounding the city. It was a night for lovers strolling hand in hand, for making promises of eternal love. For the man sitting alone on his balcony it was a night of memories. Prussian blue eyes slowly drifted upwards to look at the stars above him. They were beautiful, twinkling in the sky just like….

Heero shook his head as he pushed the painful memories away. Taking a sip of the drink in his hand, he gave the stars one last look. "They just don't seem to be as bright since you have been gone." he said aloud, knowing that there would be no answer back. Loneliness welled up inside of him, two years, it had been two years since he had seen the beautiful jeweled eyes of the one he swore he would spend his life with. Closing his eyes he felt a single tear trace its way down his face.

Inside his apartment he heard the vid-phone start ringing. Not wanting to be bothered he let the ringing continue, instead continuing to sip his drink. After a few more rings the vid-phone finally stopped only to start again a minute later. Sighing, he rose from his seat and walked over to his desk. He knew that it could only be one person who would call him like this, his half-brother Treize Kushrenada, the President of the World Council. Sure enough the caller id showed his brother's name.

Wiping a hand across his face, he took a deep breath before pressing the accept button. "Hello Treize."

"Heero, I'm sorry for calling so late."

Heero could tell by the tone of his brother's voice that something major must have happened. "It's no problem. I wasn't doing anything anyway. Has something happened?"

Treize gave his brother a sad look. He had watched his brother slowly fade away these last two years and he didn't know what to do to make it better. His brother held a special place in his heart, ever since his mother and step-father had been killed in a car accident when Heero was only eight years old. Treize had just started his career in politics but he never once considered having anyone else raise his brother. Through a lot of ups and downs he had seen his brother grow up to be a good man. When Heero had fallen in love, he had been the just as happy as his brother, only to see it all fall apart two years later. He had known when he called that Heero would be home seeing as this would have been the night of his anniversary.

"Treize?" Heero asked, starting to worry when his brother had gone silent.

Shaking his head to get rid of the sad thoughts, Treize gave his brother a small smile. "Sorry, yes something terrible has happened. As you know the situation with the Dakarian's has worsened. The talks have now stalled completely. None of the other planets that we were talking to want to go against the Dakarian's. Word has come that they have now taken control of all the mining satellites in Alpha 1. On top of that our spies have just reported that they are setting their sights on Earth."

Over the past twenty years many of the planets from neighboring systems had fallen to the Dakarian Empire and Treize as head of the World Council had been working on talks between the Dakarian's and the mining satellites in the quadrant of Alpha 1. Many believed that the Dakarian's would never invade the mining satellites as many were owned by the largest corporation on earth, WEI, which was owned by the Winner family. However, if they had truly taken over the satellites, then the situation was worse than initially feared.

"What has the Council decided to do about the situation?" Heero asked.

"We have spent the day talking to many of the planets that are in the line of fire from the Dakarians, many have expressed that they are willing to sit down and discuss the options that are available. However, there are still many planets that are too scared to go against them. To that end we are going to hold an interplanetary conference at an undisclosed location. We want to have as many of the hold out planets there that we can. The council has decided to send you on a mission to speak with these planets and try to secure their attendance to the conference."

"So when do I leave?" Heero asked.

"Unfortunately we need you to leave as soon as possible. I have sent you the itinerary of the planets that you will be visiting along with all the information about the representatives you will be speaking with. You will be traveling on the Andromeda and they have been advised on the mission parameters."

"Why am I traveling on a battleship? Wouldn't it be better for me to take a smaller shuttle?"

"Normally you would take a shuttle but we need to show those who are straddling the fence, that we have the military power to help protect them. The Andromeda is the best battleship in our fleet and the fighter pilots are the best of the best. The Commander of the ship is the best student that the academy ever turned out. His mentor is none other than Admiral Williams and rumor has it he is being groomed to take over when the old man retires."

"Impressive." Heero commented.

"Very. I have already contacted Relena and informed her to meet you at the space port tomorrow at 9:00 am."

"Speaking of Relena, when I get back I wish to discuss her with you." Heero said.

"Is there a problem Heero?" Treize asked.

Heero took a deep breath, he really didn't want to get into this with his brother tonight but he knew Treize would not leave it alone if he didn't tell him at least a little of what was on his mind. "When I come back from this assignment I wish to have Relena transferred to another department."

"Why? Is her work not satisfactory anymore?" Treize asked.

"No, it's not that. You know that she is a wonderful assistant. The problem is that she seems to think that there is something more between us than just work. I have been hearing rumors that she is looking for me to announce our engagement and we are not even dating. I mean, granted, I have taken her to many of the functions that I am required to attend, but that is only because it is more efficient for her to be there."

"I see." Treize said, "I must admit that I have heard some rumors myself but I haven't heard the one about you being engaged. I must admit that if you are looking for someone to have at your side, she would be an excellent choice. I mean she is poised, intelligent, and she was born to this type of life."

Heero glared at his brother, "There is one major flaw in her plan. I am gay. I have always been gay and I will always be gay. You know this Treize." He then saw the laughter in his brother's eyes and knew he was being teased.

"Relax Heero. I know that you are gay. You know that I have never had a problem with whom you fall in love with. I was there remember."

Heero raised sad eyes to his brother. "Yeah," he said softly, "I remember."

Treize looked at his brother and decided that a change in subject was due. "Well we will definitely discuss your problem when you come back. Please make sure that you keep in contact with me often." He smiled at Heero, placing a hand over his heart. "After all I don't want anything to happen to my little baby brother. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you."

"Jeez Treize," Heero whined with a smile on his face. "I promise though that I will stay in contact with you. I will also take care while on this assignment."

"Love you baby brother." Treize said.

"Love you to Treize." replied Heero. He hit the button and closed down the vid-call. Walking over to his laptop he pulled up the file that his brother had sent and settled into a chair to read up on his new mission.

Hours later he looked up from the laptop and noticing the time, closed his laptop. Standing, he stretched to loosen up tight muscles and walked through his apartment shutting off lights and making sure all was locked up. Walking into the master bath he methodically started his nighttime ritual, steadily pushing his memories behind a locked door in his mind. Once finished he walked back into his bedroom and the cold lonely bed it contained.

Battleship Andromeda

Commanders Quarters

Sitting at his desk Commander Duo Maxwell knew that he should be reading the many reports that sat on his desk but his mind was not into it. Turning his chair around, he looked out the window of his quarters and stared at the stars and let his mind wander. Since he was a child at the Maxwell Church Orphanage, gazing at the stars had been his favorite pastime. He had dreamed every day of traveling amongst the stars and when the opportunity to test for the space academy had come up he jumped at the chance. When his test scores had placed him within the top two percent of those tested he was admitted into the academy for officer training.

Four years later he would graduate at the top of his class with an assignment as first officer of the smaller C-class battleship Pegasus. It would also be the day that would change his life forever. It was the day that he found true love, only to have his heart broken a few short years later. Since then his entire focus was on his career. He was now the youngest commander of an A-class battleship; he was single, had no ties planet side and was well on his way to his goal of Admiral of the space fleet. It was a lonely existence, but one that suited him.

Suddenly behind him his vid-phone chimed, letting him know that he had a call coming in from headquarters. Turning around he hit the on button and the grim looking face of his mentor Admiral Carl Williams was looking at him.

Duo smiled and said, "Admiral, to what do I owe pleasure of your call? I can tell by the look on your face you didn't call just to say hello."

"No Commander Maxwell, I am sorry to say this is not a social call. I just received a call from the World Council. A situation has arose that needs to be handled with the utmost urgency. I know that the Andromeda was not scheduled for another mission for another month but…"

"Talk to me Admiral. I know it has to be bad when you call me by my rank."

Admiral Williams chuckled before saying, "You know me so well Duo." His face serious once again he continued, "The Dakarians have taken over all of the mining satellites in the Alpha 1 quadrant. As you know these are all private owned satellites with the owner a member of the Council. A spy that has managed to place himself in an excellent position to gain information has managed to smuggle out a message stating that the next target of the Dakarians will be earth."

"Do you believe this information to be reliable Admiral?"

"Yes. This person has been able to give us information about the Dakarians for many years. He has spent years building a reliable cover story that has enabled him to get real close to the Emperor. It was information that was smuggled out that allowed us to save all of people on the mining satellites before the invasion."

"Does this have anything to do with the mission that you mentioned?" Duo asked.

"Yes it does. The Council has decided that given what has happened we need to step up talks with other planets and form an alliance so that we can stop these invaders before they take over every planet known to man. With that said we have offered the Council the use of the Andromeda to take their Ambassador to the various planets that they have had talks with."

"Why send the Andromeda? Wouldn't a smaller ship be more practical? I know that the Pegasus is currently moored and has been here longer than we have."

"Under normal circumstances the Pegasus would be an excellent choice, however, the Council wants to show our military strength. Let's face it Duo, the Andromeda is the best that we have and it would show all of our potential allies that we have the ability to defend not only ourselves but their planets as well."

"I understand Admiral. The Andromeda is ready for launch at any time. When will the Ambassador be arriving?"

"The Ambassador will be arriving tomorrow at 0900. He will be accompanied by his personal assistant and I ask that you provide the security when he is planet side. You are to also accompany him at these meetings and be the voice of the military. I have great confidence in you Duo. I know that we can trust your judgment in all matters of the negotiations."

"Thank you Admiral. I won't let you down. Andromeda out." replied Duo. Hitting the button to disconnect, he then brought up the mission specs that he knew the Admiral had sent to him. After reading through all of the information he then pressed the intercom button for his second in command.

"Yes Commander." said his second in command, Dorothy Catalonia.

"Lt. Commander, report to my quarters immediately."

"Yes, Commander Maxwell."

While waiting for his Lt. Commander to arrive he briefly wondered who the Ambassador was, but then pushed the thought. He would find out tomorrow when they arrived, right now however, he had a ship to prepare for the newest mission.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. I wish I could because they are all too cute for words. I do not own the original version of Battlestar Galactica.

Title: Battlestar Andromeda

Chapter: 2

Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 6x5

Warnings: AU, swearing, lemon

By: Rebecca

Notes: My deepest thanks to Skylark for all of her encouraging words and help. *Lots of Hugs*

Battlestar Andromeda

The next morning saw a flurry of activity aboard the Andromeda. Even when the Andromeda was "moored"* in Earth space there was always something that needed to be done to keep the ship in ready condition. However, when a mission was called the activity would increase by double. Given the nature of this mission, along with the amount of time they would be away, and the activity was increased by triple.

As Duo walked along the hallway on his way from a meeting with his officers he felt his chest swell with pride at how well his crew worked together. Very few problems arose that he would have to personally deal with, his officers being the best of the best at their jobs. The biggest credit had to go to his Lt. Commander Dorothy Catalonia; she was born and raised in a military family, and if you looked past the sarcasm, you found a self assured, confident woman who ran the command deck with expertise.

Looking at his watch, Duo picked up his pace, the shuttle would be landing in twenty minutes and he wanted to be at the landing tube well before hand. As he continued to walk down the hallway, he nodded his head in greeting to his crew as they walked by. Finally coming up on the landing tube, Duo looked down at his watch to see that he still had ten minutes before the shuttle arrived. He looked over at the landing control unit and saw that Dorothy was there already talking to Lt. Schbeiker, Chief Engineering Officer. Dorothy looked up at him and nodded, letting him know that everything was as it should be. Nodding back, his mind went back to his ship, his lady love. _'My only love now.'_ he thought to himself.

The Andromeda was the largest of all the battlestar's in the space military fleet. 500 yards long, 300 yards wide and 4 ½ stories high, it was a virtual floating city. The top two levels were all military- housing the command deck, ready room, simulator rooms, and of course all of the personnel quarters. The bottom two levels housed all the amenities to make a long term mission more comfortable. A large commissary, four large dining halls, movie theater, and night club took care of all shopping, dining and leisure needs. There were even two barber shops and beauty salons to see to personal needs. To keep in shape, there were two full gyms and four full basketball courts. All of these areas were staffed by contractual civilians who were paid through the space military. All of these areas were managed expertly by the wonderful Lady Une. She ran the civilian areas with an iron fist and Duo had never had to deal with any problems from that area. Many times Duo felt the ship could run without him even here, though to hear it from his staff that was not possible.

Duo was so lost in his thoughts that he barely heard the voice of the shuttle pilot requesting permission to land. Taking a deep breath and straightening his dark blue uniform jacket, he walked forward to await the shuttle. The landing tube was really two areas, one where the shuttles and fighters landed on and then once gravity was stabilized a short walkway would bring the people to the second area. He felt a slight itch at the back of his neck, like a forewarning, and wondered what it was that had set it off. Many times in the past, it was this same itch that had saved his hide while at the orphanage.

Feeling a presence behind him, he knew that it was Dorothy preparing to meet their guests. He turned his head to greet her when he heard the slight hum of the automatic door open. Turning his head back around he felt the blood drain from his face as he came face to face with the one person from his past that he thought to never see again. The Ambassador was none other than Heero Yuy. The only man he had ever loved.

Heero found himself frozen in place at the sight of Duo standing there with his commanders' uniform on. "Duo." he said softly, not sure if he had been heard. Behind him he heard his assistant Relena Darlian.

"Heero, why have you stopped? Is something wrong?" Stepping around Heero she stopped just as suddenly as she saw who was standing there. "Oh." Narrowing her eyes, she wrapped her arms around Heero's in a manner seemed natural, like she belonged at his side, making her statement clear without words.

Dorothy watched the proceedings with a curious eye. She saw Duo stiffen and a cold look settle in his eyes in reaction to the unspoken declaration. Clearly he knew the two people standing before them, but in what way? She had never in the two years that she had served under Commander Maxwell seen him look like this. When the tension in the room had risen to almost unbearable levels, she took action, nudging her commander forward slightly. Watching him move slowly towards the two people in front of her, she made a note to herself to find out what the story was.

Duo took a deep breath and slowly walked forward. "Ambassador, welcome aboard the Andromeda." His voice remained steady, while his insides were quaking. Wanting to get this over with so that he could escape he continued, "Your quarters have been made ready for you and your staff. If you have any questions or concerns please, do not hesitate to ask any of my officers. They will be more than happy to see to your needs." Turning his head to Dorothy he said, "Lt. Commander Catalonia, if you would see our quest to their quarters."

"Yes Commander Maxwell." she replied.

All his life, Duo had lived by one motto, 'I run, I hide but I never tell a lie.' Casting a glance at Heero he decided now was the perfect time to use that motto, so with a final, "Ambassador." He turned and did what he did best. He ran.

Heero watched as Duo ran out of the room. His first reaction upon seeing Duo had to been to grab him and demand answers. However, when he saw the cold, hard look in Duo's eyes he knew that now was not the time to demand answers. First he would get settled into his quarters, then he would demand answers from Duo. After that, he would place a call to his brother, and demand an explanation from him. Mission accepted.

Suddenly, he felt the weight of Relena's arms wrapped around him. He looked down, a frown forming on his face. '_When had she done that?'_ he wondered. His focus had been solely on Duo that he had not felt her grab his arm. Shaking her arms from his, he was interrupted from his thoughts by the Lt. Commander telling him to follow her to his quarters.

Duo did not stop running until he made it to his quarters. He was thankful that the hallway had been cleared and that none of his crew had seen him. Once safely behind the closed door, he felt his body start to shake and tears fall down his cheeks. Stumbling to the couch, he collapsed, allowing the tears to fall freely down his face. Three years and he still felt the pain. Memories of their time together fought to flood his mind but he pushed them away, not wanting to think of them right now.

He wondered how he was going to be able to complete this mission, knowing that Heero would only be a few doors away from him as that was where the quest quarters were. Taking a deep breath he resolved to keep himself as far from him as possible and if he did have to see Heero, well then, he would keep things on a professional level. Not liking the feel of his tears drying on his face, he stood up and walked to the door leading to his sleeping area. Unbuttoning his uniform jacket as he continued on, he went to into the small bathroom to splash cold water on his face. Feeling better, he looked into the mirror, straightening his shoulders he said to himself, "You can do this Duo, you can complete this mission, just keep it professional and all would be fine." Maybe if he said it long enough he might actually begin to believe it.

Walking back into his living area he went to the small bar area in the corner of the room and grabbed a bottle of water from the small refrigerator there. He had just taken a sip when he heard a knock on the door. Thinking it was Dorothy coming to report on the status of their guest he gave the command for the door to open. Just as he was about to give her a greeting he heard the deep baritone voice that he had only heard in his dreams behind him.

"Duo." said Heero.

Turning his head sharply, he saw Heero standing there, not in his dreams but in the flesh. Scowling, he looked back down at the bottle in his hands. "Ambassador Yuy is there something I can help you with."

"So is that how it is Duo?" Heero asked.

Eyes blazing, Duo turned so quickly that his braid whipped around to land over his shoulder. "Yes, that is exactly how it is Ambassador Yuy. I don't know what strings you pulled to get my ship assigned to this mission but….." Before he could get any further Heero interrupted him.

"What strings I pulled? I assure you I had no idea that you were the commander of this ship. I was just as surprised as you were."

Duo gave a slight laugh saying, "Right Ambassador Yuy, like I really believe that. I know your brother would never allow his son on any ship that he had not completely checked out. So trust me, he knew that I was on this ship."

"That may be true, but I only found out about this mission last night. The only discussion I had with my brother was when he told me that I would be taking the shuttle this morning to the Andromeda. That is all."

Duo was silent for a moment, "Fine. If you will excuse me Ambassador Yuy, I have a ship to run. If you have any problems please let Lt. Commander Catalonia know and she will be able to help you."

Angrily Heero walked over to Duo, "Stop calling me that. Given our past…"

"Our past as you call it is just that, in the past." Duo said, interrupting him. "Now if that is all Ambassador Yuy, I really must get see to my ship." Duo turned, walking towards his desk.

"Fine. Since you wish to be so formal I will do the same for you."

"Yes, that is what I wish."

"Then I will leave you to your duties Commander Maxwell-Yuy."

Duo came to an abrupt halt and without turning around said in a shaky voice, "Don't call me that. That is not my name anymore."

"Actually, yes it is."

Duo turned around, eyes glistening with unshed tears, shaking his head back and forth, "No, no it was all signed and done with."

"That is were you are wrong. I didn't sign anything. So that means that we are still legally married…..husband."

TBC

*Author note- With a ship the size of the Andromeda, when they say it is moored it means that it floats in one spot above earth space.*


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. I wish I could because they are all too cute for words. I do not own the original version of Battlestar Galactica.

Title: Battlestar Andromeda

Chapter: 3

Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 6x5

Warnings: AU, swearing, lemon

By: Rebecca

Notes: My deepest thanks to Skylark for her encouragement and help. *Big Hugs*

Battlestar Andromeda

Duo stood there looking at Heero, breath caught in his chest. He kept hearing Heero's voice in his head, 'Didn't sign anything, still legally married, husband.' "Why?" he croaked.

"Why?" Heero asked incredulously, "You ask me why? I come home to an empty apartment and all of your things are gone. There is no note. No message left." Heero's voice was steadily rising as he continued. "And just when I start to get worried, thinking something has happened to you, there is a knock on the door and I am being handed divorce papers. Papers that you had already signed! So maybe I should be the one asking that question?" Taking a deep breath, Heero walked towards Duo. He stopped walking when he saw Duo step back. His shoulders slumped and he lowered his head as he asked quietly, "Why Duo? Why did you leave me? I thought we were happy together. I…I thought you loved me."

Duo looked at the bowed head struggling with the urge to go to him. He knew how hard it was for Heero to open up to his emotions. It was one of the things that made Duo fall in love with him. But then he remembered the reason why he left Heero and that stayed his feet.

"I thought we were happy too. But obviously you weren't." Duo said.

Heero raised his head, a frown forming on his face. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

Just as Duo was about to answer, the speaker on his desk pinged. Turning and walking the remaining steps to his desk, he pressed the button and said, "Yes."

"Commander Maxwell, we have been cleared by base command to leave Earth space." came Dorothy's voice over the speaker.

"Thank you XO*, I'm on my way." He turned once again towards Heero.

"I will leave you to your duties Duo, but rest assured this conversation is far from over. I will get my answers." He turned to leave the quarters, stopping before the door he added, "As for the divorce, you can forget about it. There won't be any. I refuse to sign the papers."

"You can't do this!" exclaimed Duo.

Heero looked over his shoulder, an odd gleam in his eyes, "Watch me," he said. Heero then continued out the door leaving Duo alone with his parting words.

Duo stood there staring at the door. 'Why is he doing this?' he asked himself. 'Why won't he sign the papers? Why drag this out?' A ping behind him brought Duo out of his thoughts.

"Commander?"

"On my way." said Duo. Pushing all thoughts of Heero and his parting words to the back of his mind, Duo left his quarters, he had a ship to command.

Pilots Quarters

Lt. Quatre Raberba Winner, leader of the gamma squadron, sat at the small desk in his room looking at the message that had been sent to him by one of his sisters. Iria Winner begged her brother to come home and help their father with the threat to the mining satellites in the Alpha 1 quadrant. She had even hinted that their father would forgive him for joining the military if he would come home and take his rightful place as their father's heir.

Quatre let out a snort. 'Yeah right.' He thought to himself. His father had made it well known to him that if he persisted with his plans on joining the military he would be disinherited. His family was one of the last of the great pacifist families and when he found out that Quatre wanted to join the space military as a fighter pilot, well suffice to say his father had expressed his feelings quite well. His father believed that maintaining his pacifist ways would stop the threat by the Dakarian's, however; Quatre knew that by joining the space military he could ensure that earth would be safe.

A knock at his door brought him out of his thoughts. Closing the message from his sister, he bade the person entry. Standing at his door was Lt. Trowa Barton, leader of the beta squadron, Quatre's wet dream personified. He'd had a crush on the tall pilot from the first moment he'd seen him. Trowa had a lanky build, and auburn hair that obscured one of a pair of startling emerald eyes. There was only one problem with his crush on Trowa and that was the fact that Trowa dated women, lots of women.

"Hey Trowa." said Quatre.

"Hey." replied Trowa, "Captain Marquise has called a meeting for all the squadron leaders at 1500 in the ready room. I was just on my way to the dining hall and wanted to know if you'd care to come along."

"Sure, sounds great." Quatre said and giving his screen one last look, followed Trowa out to the hall.

Guest Quarters

Heero sat at his desk deep in thought. His conversation with Duo had produced no clear answers. He still did not know why Duo had left. Turning to his vid phone Heero knew of one person he could get some answers from, his brother. It was a few moments later that his brother's face come on screen.

"Heero! Checking in already." Treize said.

"Hello Treize. Actually, I called to ask you a question."

"Ask away."

"Did you know that Duo was the commander of this ship?" Heero asked. The look on his brother's face however, gave him his answer.

"Damn it Treize! Why didn't you warn me?" Heero yelled.

"I honestly didn't see the problem." Trieze replied smoothly. "Need I remind you that it has been three years?"

"That may be, but if I had known I would have been a little more prepared."

"Prepared for what? Will this situation become a problem with your mission?"

"Of course not Treize, you know I always finish my missions."

"I know you do Heero." Trieze said pride evident in his voice. "I do want to tell you that I had no say in this mission. The Council overruled all of my objections and left me with no recourse but to abide by their wishes."

Heero sat there for a moment to think of what his brother had just said. 'There's something he is not telling me.' he thought to himself. Looking at Treize closely he could see the lines of tension in his face. This prompted him to ask, "What is going on Treize? The Council has very seldom overruled you."

After a moments hesitation Trieze replied, "This mission is vital to the safety of Earth. We must have these treaties signed by the other planets if we are to stop the Dakarian's from taking over this and any other planet in their path. Many on the Council have been getting nervous ever since the Dakarian's took over the mining satellites in Alpha 1. Some felt that we did not do enough to ensure the safety of the satellites and have even gone as far as to wanting the Council to declare war against the Dakarian's."

"But those satellites are owned by WEI. What has he said about this talk of war?" asked Heero.

"He is trying to push for a more peaceful solution to the problem however; the Council will not even listen to him. He and I are working together trying to keep the Council on our side and to give this mission a chance."

"Who is the one pushing for us to go to war?"

"Right now the major dissention seems to be coming from the Dermail camp. He has been meeting with many of the Council members on the side trying to garner more votes. For the most part I still have just enough votes on my side to keep the talk of war from coming to a vote. However, should anything else happen….."

Heero understood the words that were left unsaid. If the Dakarian's were to attack any more mining satellites then the votes could shift in favor of war. He knew his brother would fight that with all he had but if the Council ruled in favor of war- there would be nothing Treize could do but to abide by their wishes.

"Do not worry Treize. I will get those treaties signed, I will not fail." Heero said.

"I trust you Heero. I know you will succeed. If I'd had any doubts I would not have sent you. I had a chance to look into the Andromeda after we got off the vid phone last night; I then called the Admiral to make sure that the information was correct. It seems that one of the pilots on board is none other than Quatre Winner."

"Winner's son is on board? How did this happen?"

"It seems that his son Quatre went against his father's wishes and joined the military as a fighter pilot. Winner tried everything he could to get his son to leave but so far to no success. It may be prudent to meet him and gain his help. His position as the Winner Heir could prove invaluable. "

"I see. I will try to meet him at my earliest possibility."

"Fine. Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?"

"No Treize. That was all. I will call again as soon as we reach our first destination."

After his brother had said goodbye Heero disconnected the call and sat back to think over everything Treize had told him. He now understood what was on the line as far as the treaties were concerned. He knew there was no way he could fail in this mission.

Opening the file that sat in front of him, he started reading the information he was given on his first destination, the planet of Aloria. The file was quite thick so he settled into his chair and began reading. He still planned on talking to Duo again, but he would wait a few days, he had plenty of time during this mission to get Duo to talk to him he just had to be patient and that he had plenty of.

Commanders Quarters

Duo had spent the entire day on the bridge, keeping as busy as possible. Deep down he knew that staying on the bridge made it seem like he was hiding from Heero but he couldn't stop himself. By the end of the day he dragged himself to his quarters, exhausted both mentally and physically. Heading straight to his bedroom he stripped off his clothes and burrowing under his covers fell fast asleep. However, even exhaustion did not keep the dreams at bay.

TBC

*I thought at this time I would comment on a few things that may cause some questions. For the purpose of this story the space military is a cross between the U.S. Navy and Air Force. While in the U.S. Navy a commander usually commands smaller ships, such as a frigate, destroyer, submarine, or aviation squadron. For a ship the size of Andromeda it would be a captain who would command the ship as they are higher than a commander. However, for this story I thought Commander Maxwell had a nice ring to it. Since this is set in the future I thought I would play with military as I wish. *grins*

A Lt. Commander is right under the commander and is called the XO which stands for Executive Officer. This is easier to say than Lt. Commander so I decided to use this when anyone speaks to Dorothy. In a more formal setting she would be called Lt. Commander.

For the character of Zechs Marquise I have made him a captain, which is for my story would make him higher than a Lt.

Whenever anyone designates a time while on the ship, they will use military time. However, for Heero and company they will use regular time.

If anyone has any questions please ask, I will happily explain.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. I wish I could because they are all too cute for words. I do not own the original version of Battlestar Galactica.

Title: Battlestar Andromeda

Chapter: 4

Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 6x5

Warnings: AU, swearing, lemon

By: Rebecca

Notes: My deepest thanks to Skylark for her encouragement and help. *Big Hugs*

Commander's Quarters

Duo's Bedroom

The dream started like it did every night. It was always the same, never changing. He was in the elevator, bouncing on the balls of his feet waiting impatiently for his stop. He couldn't wait to tell Heero the news. He looked down at his watch; perfect just enough time to get things ready. Tonight would be the best night ever. For starters it was their anniversary, two years ago today they were married and life couldn't get any better. Then today he was called to the base and given his new assignment, Commander of the Battlestar Andromeda, the biggest best ship in the fleet. He knew Heero would be just as excited as he was and the best part about it was that he could take Heero on board to live with him while on extended missions. No more time apart from each other like on his old ship, the Pegasus. The ding of the elevator brought him out of his thoughts and he raced down the hall to Heero's office.

Once inside the office Duo noticed that Relena was not at her desk. '_That's odd.'_ thought Duo. Relena never leaves her desk unattended. Not that he was complaining. There was no love lost between Relena and him. She had not approved of his marriage to Heero. In fact she had made it quite clear that she was a better match for Heero instead of him. She just could not understand that they had married for love and not to further their own careers. Walking towards Heero's office door he heard a faint sound. He stood outside the door to listen and then heard the faint sound of a deep moan. Fearing that his husband was sick he opened the door and stopped dead in his tracks. There with his back to the door was Heero and in his arms was Relena and they were kissing each other quite passionately.

"No!" he yelled as he sat up straight in bed. Running a shaky hand through his hair he took a deep breath and willed his heart to beat normally. Throwing back the covers he swung his legs over the side of the bed. He sat there for a few moments with his head on his hands, thinking about the dream that woke him up. Taking one more deep breath he rose from the bed and grabbed a pair of jogging pants. Once dressed he walked into his living quarters, going to his coffee machine he pressed the button and the smell of fresh brewed coffee filled the air.

Cup in hand he walked over to his couch and sat down. Taking another deep breath he lay his head down on the back of the couch. Normally the rich earth tones of his quarters would relax him. He loved sitting on the couch and just letting the hard day slip away. His quarters were spacious, meant for entertaining however, in the three years that Duo had command of the ship he had never let entertained a single person here. When he had first come aboard the first place he had toured was his personal quarters. His first view had given him many ideas and plans, plans that were to include Heero. They had often dreamed of the day they would be able to live together on one of the battlestar's, and a ship the size of Andromeda was the perfect place. Back then there wasn't anything he wouldn't have done for his husband. Heero had been his entire life.

He remembered the first time he had ever seen Heero. It had been at his graduation from the Space Military Academy. Heero's brother was supposed to be there but had to cancel at the last minute, so Heero had stepped in to help hand out the diplomas. Heero had stood there in his dark grey suit with the white sash with a stripe of tyrian purple across his chest, denoting his position in the Councils office.* Duo thought he was the most handsome man he had ever seen. He had dark brown hair that made one want to run their hands through it. He was tall with a lithe, muscular body. Duo had been enthralled.

He had spent the whole ceremony watching Heero on the stage. Heero had the look of someone who wanted to be anyplace other than on that stage. When Duo's name was called to cross the stage, he had to take a deep breath to still his rapidly beating heart. As he walked closer he saw Heero's cobalt blue eyes widen slightly and his heart once again raced. However, it was when they shook hands that Duo felt the shock go through his body. Never before had he felt that tingle from a mere touch. After he had returned to his seat he continued to stare at him, but he also noticed that Heero would look back at Duo out of the corner of his eye.

After the ceremony there was a luncheon for all of the graduates and their families. He was surprised to see that Heero was also there. Taking a chance Duo walked over to the corner that Heero was standing in and struck up a conversation. They spent the rest of the luncheon alone in their own little world, talking to each other for hours. For Duo it was the day he fell in love.

The next few months were the happiest of Duo's life. He spent all his time with Heero, going to dinner, the movies and sometimes just for walks around the park. Four months later Heero surprised him with dinner at his apartment. There was candlelight, soft music and after dinner Heero got down on one knee and gave Duo the most beautiful ring he had ever seen. The slim gold band had two stones set in it, one violet for the color of Duo's eyes and one cobalt blue stone for the color of Heero's eyes.

Duo smiled as he remembered how nervous Heero had been when he asked for his hand in marriage. He hadn't realized until then how old fashioned Heero really was. Two months after Heero proposed they were married and the next two years were like a dream. Until that day, their anniversary, the day that would change his life forever. Gone was the happy go lucky Duo and in its place was the heart hardened man he was today. He had vowed as he ran from Heero's office that day to never fall in love again, it hurt to damn much. He had immediately filed for a divorce and then left to start his new command on the Andromeda. He took any mission that came his way, preferring to stay in space, to give himself time to heal.

Taking a deep breath, Duo looked down at his now cold cup of coffee. Now Heero was here, on board his ship along with Relena. He had understood the message that she had sent when she grabbed Heero's arm, the one that said hands off he's mine now. It made it blatantly clear that they were now a couple. The pain Duo felt in his heart intensified when Heero make no attempt to remove Relena's arms from his.

"They can have each other, he's means nothing to me now." he thought to himself. Maybe if he said it to himself long enough he would begin to believe it. Deep down inside though, he knew he was lying to himself.

Looking down at his watch he saw that it was time for him to start his day. Getting up from the couch, he placed his cup in the little sink beside his coffee machine and went to his room to shower and dress.

An hour later, Duo strode on deck noticing that his XO was already there conversing over the intercom with Lt. Schbeiker, the chief engineer. He sat down in the commanders' chair and waited for Dorothy to finish her conversation before calling her over.

"Good morning Commander." Dorothy said as she walked over to Duo.

"Morning XO. So what's the status this morning?"

"We're right on schedule sir. We should be at the first gateway within the hour." There were many gateways scattered throughout the system. Each gateway led to a different system and was run by a command center and it was they who allowed any ships through. Without proper authorization no ship was allowed to pass. No one was sure how the gateway worked but as soon as you passed through you would be in a different system.

"Excellent XO, carry on. Lt. Bloom."

Lt. Catherine Bloom, Chief Communications Officer, turned in her seat to look at her commander, "Yes, sir?" she asked.

"Call Captain Merquise to the deck." Duo ordered.

"Right away sir." Lt Bloom said.

Ten minutes later, Captain Zechs Merquise walked into the command deck. He saw his commander reading some papers in his hand so he stood quietly by, waiting to be noticed. While watching his commander he remembered his first day on board. Zechs had been worried what the Commander would say about his long silvery blond hair. Many commanders before had tried to order him to cut his hair but he had refused; his long hair was in memory of his dead father, the last King of Sank. Though Sank had long since joined the World Council, his father had maintained his royal status even though he had been a Council member. That is until the day a bullet from a crazed young man had taken his life. Since that day he went by the name Zechs Merquise, burying Milliardo Peacecraft along with his father. His new commander however, had assured him that his hair would not be problem, pointing to his own long chestnut braid as an example.

"Captain Merquise." said Duo interrupting Zech's thoughts.

"Yes Commander." said Zechs.

"In less than an hour we will be going through the gateway to our first destination. Since we do not know what we will find when we cross over, I want you to set up round the clock patrols. I will leave it to you to schedule the squadrons as you see fit but make sure that I have a copy as soon as you are finished."

"Yes sir. It will be taken care of."

"Good. By my calculations once we are through the gateway it will take us two days to reach the planet of Aloria. I want you and ten of your best pilots to be the Ambassadors escorts. You will be staying on the planet so make sure they understand that they are representing not only earth but the military so they will need to comport themselves properly. I will also need that list as well. That is all."

Zechs snapped to attention with a salute. "Yes Commander." he said and then he turned leaving the deck. Walking down the hall he pulled up his wrist communicator and typed in the command for all his squadron leaders to meet him in the ready room in five minutes. There were six squadrons on the Andromeda, each with twenty pilots and one squadron leader. These were the best of the best, the most elite pilots in the fleet. One thing Zechs could say about the Space Military Command, they made sure that only the best officers were on board this ship. As he walked into the ready room five minutes later, he saw all six leaders waiting for him. 'Yes.' Zechs thought, 'They were the best of the best.'

"Good morning gentlemen." he said to the group seated before him. "The Commander has just informed me that we will be going through the gateway in less than an hour. As soon as we are through we will be starting round the clock patrols. Each patrol will be four hours long. This will keep the pilots from getting tired and missing something important. Beta squadron you will be the first up with gamma relieving you after your four hours. I expect each squadron to report to their assigned position five minutes before the proceeding squadron is due back in. Until we are given new orders there will always be a patrol on duty."

Zechs walked to the middle of the room and pressed a button on the center table. Immediately a 3D hologram of the Andromeda rose from the table. Using a laser pointer Zechs continued. "We will split the squadrons in half with ten fighters in the front and ten behind flying in formation. Should a fighter have to break from formation, make sure that you have your wingman. Under no circumstances should a fighter break off without one. Anyone who does not follow these orders will be dealt with severely." Pressing the button again, the hologram disappeared.

"Now, in two days time we will be stopping at the planet of Aloria. I along with ten other pilots will be acting as escorts for the Ambassador. Lt Barton, Lt Winner you will each be in charge of four pilots. I want two pilots from each of the remaining squadrons, to be chosen by their leaders. Keep in mind that they will be on Aloria until the Ambassador leaves, so chose wisely. The remaining four squadron leaders will also take turns at leading both the beta and gamma squads. This means that each leader will run eight hour days instead of four. I do not know at this time how long we will be on Aloria but I will still be in constant contact with those left here. As soon as I get more information I will let you know. Are there any questions?" Zechs looked around his group and all shook their heads. "Good. Dismissed." he said with a nod.

On deck, Duo started pacing. This was the tricky part, getting a ship this size through the gateway. One wrong move could case severe damage to the ship. He had heard horror stories about commanders who had tried to go through the gateway and never made it. This would be the first time that he attempted to go through and he prayed his calculations were correct. Glancing at his watch he saw that they were ten minutes from the gateway and he was waiting for clearance from gateway command to proceed.

"Commander Maxwell." said Lt. Bloom. "I have just received clearance from gateway command. We may proceed when ready."

"Thank you Lt." Duo said. Sitting in his chair, he brought up a view of the gateway on the screen beside him. Pushing another button he said, "Lt. Schbeiker, we have clearance to the gateway. Are all systems a go?"

"Yes sir. All systems are a go." Lt. Schbeiker replied over the speaker.

"Maintain speed. We will start through the gateway on my mark, 5…4…3…2…1…mark." Duo watched on the screen as the four points of the gateway lit up. Looking closely at the screen he watched as they passed through the gateway right on target.

"Commander, gateway command says pass thru complete. We are now in the Zeneron System."

Duo felt the air leave his lungs. He wasn't even aware that he had been holding it. "Thank you Lieutenant, XO you have the deck. I will be in my office if you need me." he said. Giving the screen one last look, Duo left the deck.

TBC

*Author note* The sash that Heero wore to Duo's graduation is a play on the togas that the Roman Senators wore during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. The color Tyrian purple was a stripe that was down the side of the toga. The size of the stripe would depend upon the office. I have always been fascinated with this era and when I thought of what the Council would wear as a uniform I thought a sash with different size stripes for different offices would look better than robes or just plain suits.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. I wish I could because they are all too cute for words. I do not own the original version of Battlestar Galactica.

Title: Battlestar Andromeda

Chapter: 5

Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 6x5

Warnings: AU, swearing, lemon

By: Rebecca

Notes: My deepest thanks to Skylark for her encouragement and help. *Big Hugs*

Space shuttle Orion

Private runway- Planet Aloria

Duo stood in the cabin of the shuttle and looked out the window at the planet Aloria. It was smaller than the planet earth but had many geographical similarities, with its vast oceans, land masses, atmosphere and mountain range. It was these mountains that Duo stood staring at; reminding him of the mountains he would spend hours looking at outside of their apartment in Sank. Giving a slight shake of his head he redirected his thoughts to the current mission at hand.

He had spent the last two days avoiding Heero and Relena. Being the military liaison he had much to do to get ready for the meeting on Aloria. He had not wanted to go planet side and had secretly hoped that the talks would take place on the ship. That wish had been shot down quickly. A message from the Admiral had confirmed that the talks would be with the royal family of Aloria. So here he was, dressed in his military dress uniform, waiting for all of the pomp and circumstance to begin so that they could finally depart from the shuttle.

However, Duo could not get rid of the itch in the back of his neck that had started as soon as they had touched down on the private airstrip near the King's palace. He would have been happier if they could have met the king inside the palace but he had not been in charge of the security or planning. So instead they were meeting the King for the first time on the airstrip, that while it had open areas it also had many places for a sniper to hide.

Pulling his braid forward he started playing with the end, as the itch started getting progressively worse. 'Well.' he thought, 'I may not be able to change how we meet the King but I can make sure that everyone is on alert.' With that in mind he turned to Zechs and called him over.

"Yes Commander?" Zechs asked as he stopped in front of Duo.

"Captain Merquise, I want all of the pilots on high alert. Have them scan the perimeter with all priority on the King of Aloria and Ambassador Yuy. Any thing out of the ordinary, stun first but if it is perceived as a threat, shoot to kill. My orders."

"Yes Commander, right away." Zechs replied, turning to communicate with his pilots waiting outside of the shuttle.

Duo took a deep breath and once again looked out the shuttle window. He could now see a car pull up to the greeting area that had been set up. Still rubbing his fingers on the end of his braid, he watched as three people stepped out of the car. The first one was slightly older, but tall and well built. The second gentleman was taller than the first, but younger with dark hair and a thin gold crown that circled his head. 'This must be the King.' thought Duo. He knew the King was a young man who had only been on the throne for two years, since his father had died a mysterious illness. The third gentleman was shorter than the King and wore a thinner crown around his head. This was the King's consort, Duo recalled from the information that he read about this planet. Duo frowned as he noted that there were no other people surrounding the King. Obviously the King thought himself to be safe here on his own property.

"What's wrong?" Duo jumped at the sound of Heero's voice next to him.

Duo whipped around to see Heero standing next to him. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"You're playing with the end of your braid. The only time you do that is if you are nervous about something." replied Heero.

Before Duo could reply, Zechs walked over to Heero and said, "Ambassador, the king has arrived and all is ready for us to depart."

Heero turned to look at Noin and replied, "Thank you Captain." He heard Duo move away from him and mentally sighed. Duo had gone out of his way these past two days to avoid him, however, once this trip was finished he was going to make sure that Duo made time for him. He wanted to find out what it was that caused Duo to leave and damn it he was going to get his answers. Walking towards the door he grabbed his briefcase and made one last tug on his Ambassadors sash. The shuttle door was already open and he gave a nod to Relena to precede him and Duo down the stairs. As he walked down the steps to the tarmac he looked over the King and his consort. Both were wearing the robes the denoted their royal status, however, the gentleman in the back was wearing a suit which told Heero that he was part of the Kings royal guard. Now he understood why Duo had placed his pilots on high alert. He, himself was unhappy with the lack of more security. Once in front of the king he felt a presence directly behind and to the left of him. He gave a barely noticed nod to Relena to proceed with the introductions.

Relena gave a deep, graceful curtsey to the King before turning slightly towards Heero. "Your highness may I present Earth's Ambassador to the United World Council Heero Yuy." After Heero gave a deep bow she then said, "And Duo Maxwell, Commander of the UWC Battlestar Andromeda."

Zechs watched from his position at his commander's right side as Duo gave a deep bow also. Suddenly out of the corner of his eye he saw as the sunlight flashed on a piece of metal from one of the small buildings along the side of the tarmac. His mind suddenly flashed back to five years ago to the image of another King and without any conscious thought dove towards the King and his consort yelling, "Everyone get down!" Just as he pushed the two men down the sound of a laser gun went off, and he felt a searing pain in his left shoulder.

Acting on instinct Duo threw himself at Heero and pushed him down on the ground to safety. Looking over he saw that Lt. Winner had also pushed Relena down onto the ground for safety. Rolling to his feet he took off running, pulling his gun as he went, towards the building that the shot had come from. Using the car that the King had arrived in as a shield he took a look around to assess the situation. Zechs still had the King and his consort on the ground, using his body as a shield. He saw that the other pilots, along with the King's guards, rush forward to surround those on the ground. Slowly rising to look over the top of the car he saw the glint of the gunman's weapon. Not wanting to give the gunman a chance to fire again, Duo raised his gun and shot towards the building. When no return fire was made he cautiously crept forward towards the building.

Once at the building he stood with his back against the wall and with gun ready quickly peeked into the broken window beside him. Inside the gunman lay on the floor, a single shot to the head told him that the man was dead. He turned back to see more of the King's guards race forward from a large military vehicle that had pulled up while he had been looking through the window. Lowering his gun, he started walking back towards the greeting area but was met halfway by the older gentleman that arrived with the King.

"Commander Maxwell." the gentleman said with a bow, "My name is Za-el, Captain of the Royal Guards. I am sorry that we had to meet under such circumstances."

Duo gave a bow back saying, "It is a pleasure to meet you Captain even under these conditions. I have just come from the building the shooter was in. Unfortunately, the shooter is dead. I took a couple of shots but it looks like he killed himself." He watched as the man started mumbling. After a few moments Za-el seemed to get a hold on his tirade allowing Duo to ask, "Was anyone hurt? Is the King safe?"

"The King is safe as well as his consort but I think the one who threw them down may have an injury. I haven't had a chance to check. Everyone else had reported no injuries." Za-el said.

"Damn!" exclaimed Duo.

"Get in and I will take you back to your men." said Za-el. While Duo ran around to the passenger side, Za-el turned to his men and said, "Secure this building until the medics come for the body. Do not let anyone in until they get here." Then turning he too entered the vehicle and they sped off towards the King and Ambassador.

As soon as the vehicle stopped Duo jumped out, and proceeded to push aside those standing guard over Heero and the King. Rushing over towards Zechs he saw blood running down the Captain's left arm. Even though injured, Zechs still had his gun out and to the ready; however it was the look in his eyes that gave Duo pause.

"Captain Merquise, all has been secured you can stand down now." Duo said gently.

Zechs turned dazed eyes towards his Commander, "Are they safe?" he asked.

"Yes Captain, they are safe and unharmed. You can put down your gun. We need to look at your shoulder." Duo replied.

Suddenly, tears streamed down Zechs face as he slowly lowered his arm. Swaying he struggled to remain upright but he felt his knees buckle. He felt someone grab him as he started to fall. Looking up he saw Quatre staring at him intensely. "Thank the Gods. I didn't fail this time." He felt his body start to shake, a cold feeling stealing over him. As the darkness started to overtake him he heard Quatre say, "You tried Milliardo, and he knew that." Then Zechs knew no more.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. I wish I could because they are all too cute for words. I do not own the original version of Battlestar Galactica.

Title: Battlestar Andromeda

Chapter: 6

Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 6x5

Warnings: AU, swearing, lemon

By: Rebecca

Notes: My deepest thanks to Skylark for her encouragement and help. *Big Hugs*

Kings Palace

Planet Aloria

Quatre sat in the chair beside the bed watching Zechs as he lay there, still unconscious. After he had lost consciousness they had quickly took the King and his consort to the palace and Zechs had been brought to one of the palace's many bedrooms. The King had ordered his personal physician to tend to Zechs, making sure that he got the best care. Quatre looked when he heard the door open and saw his Commander walk towards him.

"How is he?" Duo asked.

"He still hasn't come to yet." Quatre replied.

There was a few moments of silence before Duo asked, "How did you know?" at Quatre's confused look he added, "His real name. How did you know? I heard you call him that before he passed out."

"Our fathers were good friends as well as members of the Council. When I was younger our families would spend the summer at this lake house. Even though he is older than me he would still find time to make sure I had a great time. He always said that with 29 older sisters I needed a big brother, so he became the brother I never had. How did you know?"

"When I took command of the Andromeda I made it a point to know all about my officers. When I found out he was being assigned to my ship I made some inquiries when his file stated that he refused to cut his hair to regulation. I figured there had to be a good reason why considering he had an otherwise exemplary record. Since Space Command knew about my own hair they were more than willing to tell me all about him."

"Do you know…?" Quatre asked hesitantly.

"Do I know who your father is? Yes, I found out the same time I learned of Zechs, I just never knew that you two knew each other."

"When Zechs first came on board he found out that I was one of the pilots. Because he was afraid people would think he was giving me special treatment, we decided not to let people know that we knew each other." Quatre hesitated before asking, "Will you be reassigning one of us now?"

"Well given the fact that we are no where near earth that is a mote point. Plus given the fact that you are both fine officers there is no way I will let either one of you go."

"Thank you Commander." Quatre said with a smile.

A moan from the bed caught the attention from both men. Quatre quickly stood up and leaned over the bed. "Zechs, Zechs it's me Quatre."

Slowly Zechs opened his eyes and gazed at the man leaning over him. "Quatre?" he asked.

"Yeah Zechs, how are you feeling?"

"Like I just crash landed my Taurus fighter with no helmet on."* Zechs replied. He struggled to sit up and moaned as his arm felt the strain. After making himself comfortable he looked at both Quatre and his Commander and asked, "What happened?"

"You don't remember?" asked Duo.

Zechs shook his head and said, "The last thing I remember was seeing the light shining off of a weapon pointed at the King and thinking that I needed to get them down on the ground. I felt something hit my arm and that was it. Is the King alright? He and his consort did not get hurt, did they?"

"Don't worry Captain both King Ja-rel and his consort Tor-il are fine. They both have a few scratches but for the most part walked away fine. In fact they are extremely grateful to you for saving their life. But as to what happened, you were shot in the arm. The King's physician was able to stop the bleeding; however you will have to be on light duty for the next few days." There was a slight pause before Duo continued, "Luckily Lt. Winner was there to catch you as you passed out."

Zechs closed his eyes as he remembered what happened. Images of his father's murder filled his mind and he felt tears start to form. He turned his head away, not wanting his commander to see the tears slide down his face.

"Zechs," Duo said softly, "You were remembering your father's murder, weren't you?"

Zechs jerked his head around in surprise. Not only because his commander had called him by his first name but also that had he known about the murder. Finally he said quietly, "Yes Commander."

Duo stood there for a moment and then with a nod said, "I am going to order that you go see Dr. Po as soon as we return to the ship. This will not go on your record nor will I restrict your duties unless Dr. Po feels it is necessary."

"Thank you Commander." Zechs said with relief.

"Now with that said, the King would like to know if you are well enough to attend the dinner that is being held tonight. Initially it was welcome the Ambassador; however they now want to honor you for saving the King and his Consort. I informed them that I would see if you were up to it this evening."

"There is no need for that Commander. I was just doing my duty as an officer of the Space Military." Zechs protested.

Duo held up his hand and said, "I truly understand, however, it is my understanding that the King and his husband have only recently been married and they would deem it a great honor if you would allow them to show their thanks for saving them both. They have assured me that the celebration will not be anything huge, just a special dinner with a few select guests."

"In that case I would be honored to attend."

"Fine, I will let them know. The dinner does not start for a few more hours so you can rest awhile longer and I will let Lt. Winner bring you when you are ready. Your clothes have been brought here and I trust you brought another set of dress uniforms?"

"Yes Commander." Zechs said.

"Lt. Winner, I will ask that you help Captain Merquise get ready and if either of you need anything you can reach me by commlink." Then Duo turned and left the room.

Palace Dining Room

Planet Aloria

Three hours later Zechs was wondering if going to dinner was such a good idea. Taking a shower had been hard as he could not get the bandages on his shoulder wet and then dressing became an ordeal that he did not wish to repeat. The physician once again came to check on him and had produced a sling and ordered that he wear if for the next few days. Quatre had stayed with him to help and once ready they called upon a servant to escort them to the dining room. At the door they stopped, looking out over at the 100 people that were there in attendance.

"Only a few people, huh?" Zechs asked a bemused tone in his voice.

"I think the Commander's exact words were 'a few select guests'. I know you remember all about this when we were younger?"

"Yeah, I remember. Just doesn't mean I liked it." Zechs replied.

Just then the dining room went quite and Zechs watched as the King walked towards him. He turned to speak once again to Quatre but noticed that the blond had made a tactile retreat. "Coward." Zechs muttered under his breath. Said coward turned his head and gave Zechs an innocent smile.

"Captain Merquise, I am so glad you are feeling well enough to join us this evening." said King Ja-rel, a warm smile on his face.

Zechs gave the King a slight bow and then replied, "Your Highness. Yes, I am feeling much better, thank you."

"Wonderful. I trust my physician took good care of you?"

"Yes Your Highness. Your physician healed my wound so well that I am only feeling a slight amount of pain. The sling is really so that I don't pull any of the muscles in my shoulder. "

"Excellent! Please, come meet my husband. He has been waiting so patiently for you to arrive, but I dare not to delay any longer." The King looked over to where his husband stood talking to one of his guest, a warm smile on his face. He then leaned a little closer to Zechs and said in a low voice, "It is to my advantage to stay on his good side, yes?"

Before Zechs had a chance to comment, the King started walking towards his husband leaving him to follow beside him. As they got closer Zechs took his first real look at the Kings Consort. While the King was a big, muscular man with broad shoulders and a wide chest his Consort was shorter more lithe body. The King had long brown hair past his shoulders with amber eyes, while his husband had curly blond hair that reached his shoulders and vivid green eyes that sparkled. Together, they made a striking couple.

"Tor-il I have brought over Captain Merquise to meet you." King Ja-rel said to his husband, "Captain Merquise, my husband Tor-il."

Zechs bowed towards the man who returned it and then without warning was grabbed into a big hug. The hug caught him by surprise but just a fast as the man had hugged him he was let go. However, the whirlwind that was Tor-il did not stop there and soon Zechs was besieged with questions.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Captain Merquise. Are you doing ok? How is your arm? Did the physician take care of it? Is your room to your liking? What do you think of our planet? Is this your first trip here? Oh, I hope not, that was a terrible first impression wouldn't you say? Will you have time for a tour of our planet or must you return to your ship? …"

"Tor.." the King began only to be drowned out by Tor-il again.

"At least let us give you a tour of the palace. You must really see this place it has such history. Do you ride? We have plenty of horses in the stables to choose from. They may seem a little different from those on your planet but I think you can still handle them. Don't you think Ja-rel?..."

"Tor." King Ja-rel said a little more forcefully. "Give the poor man a chance to answer." He wrapped his arm around his husband's waist and pulled him close.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Your Highness. Yes, I am feeling much better and I would love to see more of this planet while I am here. As for riding, while I would love to be able to ride while I am here I am afraid that both the doctor and my Commander have put me on light duties for the next few days so I may not be able to indulge at this time." Seeing the consort's down fallen expression he quickly added, "However, I would love to take a walking tour of the palace and its grounds."

"Oh, that would be wonderful! If you feel up to it tomorrow, we could go in the morning. That is the best time to see the grounds." Tor-il exclaimed.

"It would be my honor Your Highness."

"Now, with that said," said King Ja-rel, "I would like to take this time to offer you a token of our appreciation. A gift if you will."

"Your Highness, there is no need to offer me anything. I am just glad that you both were not harmed in any way." Zechs replied.

"Non-sense, I must give you something for your heroic actions today." said the King.

"Yes please. Let us show you our gratitude." chimed Tor-il.

"In that case I will accept anything that you give to me."

"Great then it is settled. I will have your gift delivered to your room while we dine."

After dinner Zechs was escorted by a servant back to his room. He was grateful to be going as he had started to tire from the events of the day. He had been seated next to the King and had been wonderfully entertained with many tales from those who had sat near him. However, the pain in his arm had come back with a vengeance and he longed to take a pain pill and lie down. Thanking the servant he opened the door to his room, wondering what it was the King had given to him for a gift. Taking three steps into the room he suddenly stopped when he saw a young man naked save for a short cloth tied around his waist, kneeling on his bed.

"Who are you?" he blurted out.

The young man lifted his head and Zechs breath caught in his throat. The young man was beautiful with long ebony hair that cascaded down to his shoulders and black eyes that had a slight slant to them. The young man looked at him for a moment before lowering his head once more.

"I am your gift….master." came the quiet reply.

TBC

*The reference to the Taurus fighter is the name that I gave to the fighters that the pilots use when they are out on patrol. For a picture of what I am basing this off of go to  wiki/Colonial_Viper They have a picture of a fighter there.

*Since the King of Aloria married a man I have made him a consort. To that end he must have a title so I have made him a prince. It is similar to Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain and her husband Prince Philip. A king can make a queen but a queen can not make a king. So to be called Your Highness is like an honorary title.


End file.
